At The Movies

BOOK OF ELI - Denzel Washington stars as Eli, the lone protector of a precious book in a post-apocalyptic world. This movie feels at times like a cross between the Clint Eastwood "man with no name" westerns of old, and Mad Max/Road Warrior. Directed by The Hughes Brothers (Dead Presidents, Menace To Society) the film can be best described as a religious tale set in the world of Mad Max. Believe me, this is not your traditional Denzel film. This is very different. But both Denzel and co-star Gary Oldman give strong performances here, and the twist at the end was very cool. Anyway, very good film.

ANGELS & DEMONS - Let me preface this review by saying I read "Angels & Demons" a few years ago, and when I finished it I threw it across the room. Yes, I thought it was that bad. Anyway, Jenny and I decided to rent this one because we saw THE DAVINCI CODE a while back (and we thought it was simply okay.) Famous symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) returns to the Vatican to investigate the theft of a vile of antimatter. The culprit this time seems to be the Illuminati, a mysterious secret society. And of course from then on we follow Langdon on a frantic search for lost symbols and coded messages through the streets of Rome. I will admit I enjoyed this film better than DAVINCI CODE, but I'm not sure that's saying a lot. Watching these movies makes me wonder why Hanks and Ron Howard (director) are even involved. They almost seem to be wasting their talents here. But still though, for a rental I thought this one was okay.

IT MIGHT GET LOUD - Watching this documentary was like watching a film made just for me...and I loved every minute of it. This film is not for everybody, but it's definitely for me. Directed by Davis Guggenheim (Training Day) this documentary brings together 3 of the most iconic guitarists in the world of rock n' roll. Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin), The Edge (U2), and Jack White (The White Stripes) all come together and sit down for a discussion on why they love the guitar, and what the instrument means to them. In addition to the pow-wow there's also great jam sessions with the three (seeing Jimmy Page play a U2 song is a must see.) Like I said, the movie is mainly for the music lover and not for everyone. But man o' man, I literally watched this movie with a smile on my face the whole time. I loved it!

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 - Denzel Washington stars as Walter Garber, a subway dispatcher who is having a bad day. One morning Garber gets a call about a hijacking on a subway car. He soon becomes the go-between in a hostage negotiation between the terrorist (John Travolta) and the Police. Directed by Tony Scott (Crimson Tide) the drama here is thick. Things start to fall apart a bit by the third act, but overall I thought for a rental this one was pretty good.

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA - After watching this one I still think TRANSFORMERS 2 was the loudest movie I've ever seen, but I would say this was a close second. I would go into the details of what the plot is about here, but is it really worth everyone's time? I don't think so. There's a secret military squad (G.I. Joe), a global terrorist network (Cobra) and frankly...crazy antics ensue from there. This is based on the 80's cartoon so I guess that's why I was semi-interested in watching this. Glad I didn't spend full price at the theater. I guess if I was 13 I would have loved this movie. HA!

SUNSHINE CLEANING - Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are sisters who form their own cleaning company...uh...cleaning up after crime and murder scenes. The trailer for this movie gave me the impression it was a "dramedy," like LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. Both films even share the same producers. But overall this film was very disappointing. The laughs (if any) are few and far between. And in between are a lot of despair and grieving. This was a much sadder film than I expected. Like I said, very disappointing.

WHATEVER WORKS - I've made it known in the past that I'm a Woody Allen fan. Well, a fan of the writer/director...and not the human being. Anyway, when I heard Allen was teaming up with Larry David I was very interested. However, after I watched this I was not only greatly disappointed, but I was actually angry. Angry at Allen, angry at David, just angry. I was angry at myself for watching this train wreck. I was angry at David for playing his "Larry David" role from Curb Your Enthusiasm. I mean...come on...he's playing the same guy here. Then there's Allen. In the story here Larry David meets a young woman, Melodie, who is from Mississippi and looking for a place to stay. They eventually form a relationship (despite David's grouchy presence) and move in together. Soon after Melodie's parents from Mississippi (who are separated) make their way to New York looking for their daughter and attempt to bring her back home. Well, to make the long story short, by the end of the movie Melodie has an affair and leaves Larry David, Melodie's mother becomes a New York photographer who shares two lovers, and Melodie's dad turns gay. I mean...come on...how typical of Allen. So ridiculous. Anyway, I didn't like this one at all. I feel I need to go watch MANHATTAN or CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS in order to cleanse myself.

30 ROCK: SEASON 2 - A while back Jenny and I rented the first season of 30 ROCK. She liked it, and I thought it was okay. But we both liked it enough to give it another try. So we rented Season 2. Well, I'm glad we did because the show seemed to improve between seasons. I found myself laughing a little more this time around. I think we'll go ahead and check out Season 3 sometime soon.